1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to novel gamma-substituted gamma-butyrolactones, and in particular it relates to gamma-alkyl lactams having at least 16 carbon atoms in the alkyl substituent and to amine derivatives thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,296,709 of Fernholz there is disclosed gamma-butyrolactones made by the oxidation of alphatocopherol, not by the reaction of an olefin with a carboxylic acid. In U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,200,075 of Anderson and 3,261,782 of Anderson et al., the lactones disclosed contain an amido or a carboxyl substituent on the ring adjacent to the carbonyl carbon atom. The substituent attached to the carbon atom adjacent to the ring oxygen may contain from 1 to 300 carbon atoms. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,487,452 of Wygant et al, the lactones disclosed also contain the alphaamido substituent and an alkyl substituent of up to 20 carbon atoms. These patents fail to disclose specific gamma-alkyl-substituted butyrolactones derived from olefins having a chain length of at least 16 carbon atoms and carboxylic acids, or their alkylenepolyamine derivatives or the utility of the lactone as a wax coating adherent or the utility of the lactones or the amine derivatives as multifunctional agents in industrial organic fluids.